Looking for advice

Amadeus · Post by **Amadeus** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:17 pm

I'm looking to buy a new computer system SOON, and I was hoping to get advice from anyone that might have an educated opinion on hardware etc. I am not looking to get the best thing known to man right now; however, I do want something "decent".

So, here are my current choices:

1. CPU --
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDe ... Code=80826

2. Memory (2x1gig-- total 2gigs)
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDe ... e=80098-33

3. Motherboard
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDe ... ode=247036

4. Case
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDe ... ode=140834

5. Power Supply
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDe ... ode=360921
or
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDe ... ode=360911

..Questions:

A. Which power supply should I get? I'm still in the dark ages about power supplies and never know which I should get.

B. The case...it's a good choice, right? I don't want to spend money for frilly cases..just something that gets the job done and that I can get in and out of (ie, fairly easy access).

C. The power supplies I've listed work with the case I picked, right?

And anything else. I don't need a monitor, hard drives, or video/audio cards...so no need for suggestions on those.

Thanks.

dont_know_at_all · Post by **dont_know_at_all** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:43 pm

Buy a mac. I hear they run windows now. :-)

Amadeus · Post by **Amadeus** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 5:50 pm

DKAA is coming out the closet I think.

drzoon · Post by **drzoon** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 4:49 am

I can't see anything wrong with your choices. Both power supplies will fit the case (in general, power supplies are a standard size, and will fit all normal cases). I'd go with the second one myself, since it has a bigger fan (120mm vs 80mm), which means it can run at a slower speed, which should reduce noise a bit.

I like my PCs to be very quiet, so I have slightly different criteria for most parts, but any power supply over 350W should be sufficient for almost all except the highest end PCs. I try and choose quieter components when I can, and the Power Supply can be one of the noisy parts.

I find any case stated mid-tower or above is fine to work inside, but I have big hands. The case you've linked will be easy to work with.

I'd probably also go with 2x1GB DIMMs instead of 4x512MB ones, since that will give you a bit more upgrade potential later on, and they should be equivalent price.

Hope that helps.

nytemyst · Post by **nytemyst** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 9:34 am

What is the computer going to be used for? If you're going to be doing lots of multitasking i would get a dual core and one with a 65NM process as they will run cooler and can be overlocked to hell if you're into that.

Also i would recommend you do x2 1 Gig instead of 4 because besides allowing you to upgrade easier later. Whenever the 4 slots are filled up ram is runed at a slower T2 speed.

I'm assuming you're not using this comp as a crazy gaming system so that case will work fine. It looks roomy and comes with 4 fans. I would of perferred an alluminium case cause they cool better and are lighter but more expensive.

The second powersupply you linked i would recommend over the 2. having a 120mm fan instead of the 80mm it'll be quieter but still cool itself better. Powersupply are one of the most important things people neglect. You get a cheap power supply this is where those resets out of no where problems occur.

I'm using the same motherboard as that one in one of my computers. Its a very nice motherboard and it supports all the new cpus. I'm using a 920D on it right now.

Amadeus · Post by **Amadeus** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:25 am

Ok ... I've updated the memory purchase information on my original posting. See if that strikes you guys a bit better.

nytemyst · Post by **nytemyst** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:33 am

Those are nice and fast with the low timings (3-3-3). You can't beat lifetime warranty either.

Agripa · Post by **Agripa** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:33 pm

It is difficult to quantify power supplies because so many of the relevant specifications are unlisted or nebulous making them difficult to gauge. Luckily, they do not cost very much to replace anymore. Beyond that barring some specific issue with a component, sticking to name brands and being prepared to do a warranty return is safest. You might want to hit the relevant forums and look for user complaints about various parts.

I try to leave a bank of RAM unpopulated so more can be added later. You already changed your post to reflect that. Keep in mind that with Windows XP 32 you will be limited to 32 bits of address space no matter what you do so 3GB is the practical maximum and sometimes lower.

I would tend to go with the lowest clock speed dual core processor and use overclocking. I prefer Intel to AMD only because of chipset issues which in my experience have shown Intel > VIA > nVidia.

For a case my favorite is http://www.coolcases.com/cart/sr10403_28.html

nightgod · Post by **nightgod** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:19 pm

I wouldn't get either of those powersupplies-go for either an Enermax, Coolermaster or a Thermaltake. You might spend an extra $20-30 on it, but it will pay off when you don't burn out components due to shitty power quality. PUSs are usually the area where most people skimp on thier computer purchases and they're usually the most problematic for those people. Save your sanity and protect your investment and buy quality.